One to Watch: Thomas Hammer

Thomas Hammer was born in 1985 in New York and studied at Cornell University. He makes gestural black and white ink drawings, as well as paintings and works on paper using more vibrant colors. His works are a stunning manifestation of control, balancing chaos and harmony in an attempt, “to create emotionally impactful works that explore the relationship between human activity and our natural surroundings.”

Thomas’s works have been included in exhibitions across the US and have been placed in collections in the US and internationally.

When working with abstraction I always think it is about finding a voice – what at first appears to be random chat is in fact sophisticated conversation – for me the marks being made are still experimental and random – It is so difficult to be original in a time of plenty – and being an older artist I have seen many attempt this type of gestural weaving of paint as professionals and children at play – it has a tendency to be monotone and monotonous. I hope that doesn’t sound harsh and that future experiments will lead to something more visually engaging.

Completely agree. I applaud Thomas’ efforts and wish him well in his artistic endeavors, butt find the current (over the past 5+ years) to be a tad vapid, don’t mean to sound harsh but there’s something to be said for experience and the years it takes to shake off the ruling of trends and “what’s hip at the moment”.
i may sound like a geezer but i firmly believe in the beauty of wisdom and maturity, especially of the work.

Well that’s this one man’s opinion, I’m sure there’s a million other “artists” voices who would whole heartedly disagree… onward and upward.

Art is very personal and very subjective…all of it. What is monotone and monotonous to one? Is bold and evocative to another. What appears to be experimental and random to some? Rings true and strong to another. And so it is in the case of Thomas Hammer and the above work. I am particularly pulled in to his drawings. Very good work, in my humble opinion.
I could list many reasons why I feel the way I feel, but I wont…bc art is about exactly that: a personal feeling. A good friend and well respected member of the “working” art world recently told me: “If it engages you it works.” I am engaged and therefore it works…for me that is.
Beauty is most definitely in the eye of the beholder.

Like much modern art these days this belongs in the category “What is art actuallycoming to these days”?
I look at a painting and think “this must have taken all of 10 minutes to create.”
But others like it, and that is obviously a good thing, isn’t it?
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